CHAOS IN BORO PARK: Illegal Hachnosas Sefer Torah Leads to Altercation with NYPD and One Arrest

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[Videos below.] An illegal hachnosas Sefer Torah in Boro Park, Brooklyn, today led to one arrest and outrage amongst the local Chassidic community.

The event involved a hachnosas Sefer Torah at the Dzibo Shteibel, as the procession made its way down 51nd Street between 15th and 16th Avenues. NYPD officers were apprised that prior authorization for this procession had not been received. Officers were thus compelled to ensure that the street remained opened and passable.

As officers attempted to clear the street, they approached and commanded individual participants, who didn’t take too kindly to their instruction.

In response to pedestrians who did not adhere to their admonitions to clear the road, officers made physical contact in an effort to move the people in question – all males – to the side.

An altercation ensued between one police officer and a Chassidic celebrant. The officer tried to cuff the man, who resisted, while onlookers yelled that the officer had instigated the altercation and that the man should be released.

The incident was simultaneously being filmed on the phones of onlookers.

Ultimately, additional officers joined the fray, until the man was slammed against a car. His yarmulka fell off and his hat teetered on the hood of the vehicle as three police officers – two men and a woman – struggled to handcuff him. While yelling to be let go, the bearded man was cuffed and then thrown into a police car and taken to the 66th precinct.

There are conflicting reports as to which askanim or watch groups were or were not contacted prior to the event to ensure proper closure of local streets and who contacted police to inform them of the event, which had apparently proceeded peacefully prior to arrival of the police.

Matzav.com is told that an investigation into the incident is underway. Detectives will be examining footage from the incident to determine if the officers involved acted correctly. Charges against the individual who was arrested have not yet been announced.

A Matzav.com reporter on scene spoke with some of the men and women watching the tumult.

“We’re just shocked by the chaos,” said one Chassidic woman. “Everyone knows that our community and the NYPD have a remarkable relationship. To see conflict like this was just so out of the ordinary and simply astounding. We respect the police greatly, but we also hope that proper measures were taken and that no one was treated unfairly. Time will tell.”

The positive relationship between the NYPD and the Orthodox community is indeed well-known. In fact, following today’s altercation, a Boro Park Shomrim member told Matzav.com that during the month of September, teamwork between the NYPD and Shomrim – or Orthodox Jewish watch groups – in New York City led to 25 arrests, including 11 due to the efforts of Boro Park Shomrim and 10 thanks to the efforts of Williamsburg Shomrim.

VIDEOS:

{D. Stein-Matzav.com Newscenter}


64 COMMENTS

  1. It should be pointed out that there are really no permits for a hachnosas Sefer Torah in Brooklyn, NY. Rather what happens is that the local Community Board is contacted and then they work with the Shomrim patrol with the police, but here for some reason no one ever told the Community board members

  2. Vilde Chayos – Gayva Gayva Gayva – no appreciation of living in a medina shel chesed – A tremendous Chillul Hashem r”l – a little jail time – and maybe hosed down with ice cold water might help – but i doubt it.
    I am embarrassed to be associated with these proste fools.
    I am only talking about the idiots that ignore police and want to be wise guys. but it would help if they are not egged on by the crowd. Absolutely disgusting!!!!

    • I’m being you dan l’kaf zechus that you didn’t really watch the entire footage. I’d suggest that next time you post such an arrogant vicious comment you write your full-name along with your mother’s and not as anonymous so we can all say Tehilim for you.

      Do you even know the law?! The police had absolutely no right to lay a finger on him in a true “Malchis shel Chessed”!!

      • No permit, no parade. He was blocking the road/impeding traffic. He pushed a cop and resisted arrest. He deserved to be arrested.

    • Dear 7:40 Judenrat, use your head – go and demolish a brick wall, you traitor. Besides, you should know that in America you don’t have to obey Herr Komandant type little men with big egos when you didn’t break any laws. Hopefully, your feeble mind can comprehend that walking on a street is not breaking any laws. If you want to see what blocking a street looks like, check out midtown’s homeless campsites and halal vendors – note how NYPD does nothing to unblock the foot traffic, unless the Jews are to be harassed, of course.

    • The perp looked surprised and shocked, not belligerent and antagonistic. I’m glad that my bros in insulated B.P. coexist pretty well with the P.D., but the latter need some serious sensitivity training. And the community board needs to communicate better with those it serves. We’re supposedly learning in the new sedras about grabbing the tail of the Nakhash, who can be all things to all people. All love & respect to the beautiful Dzibo!

  3. No matter what, never fight off a police officer…
    If an officer says to move on the side you do it, we need to obey the law…

  4. Such a Chilul Hashem, some people think they own the street. As is common for some to make the Sukkahs on the sidewalk and block the passerbyers. The police showed them who is the real boss.

    • the cops should have accepted and moved on. why fight a community for no reason? they were not bothering anyone. they weren’t doing anything out of the norm for thoes streets. yes, he shouldn’t have resisted but the cop is dead wrong for arresting someone for blocking a street during a religious event. he should lose his job! today!

    • Dear 7:51, how come your glorious NYPD does nothing to unblock the sidewalks from homeless campers, unsanitary food vendors and street performers?! Did you have to spend a lot of time in the judenrat reeducation camp in order to become so blind to this obvous double standard?

      • Do you mean the street performers on 13 Ave between 48th&49th St. Tuesday and Wednesday Sukkos until midnight? Kids have to go to school next day – can’t fall asleep because of the noise they made. THEY should have been removed from the street. You want to do a crazy show like this – do it in your synagogue behind the closed doors, not on the street. Normal people go to work. They have to rest.

    • Do they even have permission to block the sidewalks like that? You can’t even pass by with the baby in the stroller. It is wrong.

  5. I watched all the footage. Lemaaseh, yes, there was no permit, but if you watch carefully, the cop started the whole fight – and for no reason. With a drop more patience and a little more brains and social skill, he could have carefully moved everyone over. But this cop obviously has a temper and blew his top. Foolish, foolish, foolish. Cops needs to use seichel and tact. This cop could have avoided this whole thing. Instead he let his ego get in the way. Shame on him.

  6. what chutzpah these people have thinking they are above the law. Disgusting, Chilul Hashem. What’s the point of a Hachnosas Sefer Torah if you shame the Torah with your disregard for Hashem and honoring His name?

    and to the commenter named “Lsheim shumayim” and those like him, WAKE UP! YOU are the Chilul Hashem in almost everything you do. It’s not a Hefker Velt. The worst offenders are the ones who deem themselves ” Lsheim shumayim”. feh!

  7. I don’t see how these comments are a “chillul Hashem “.

    Whether the police are right or wrong, it’s NEVER a good move to resist arrest. If you have a grievance- take it up later. Resisting will only get you in MORE trouble.

    Enough of this entitlement heimishe narishkeit. Follow basic rule of law-period!

    • You Jewish folk do not respect the police. The police are in control. It’s welll know how the Jewish get Medicaid, food stamps while beating the rest of the city. You all are corrupt. The police are boss. Stop your crying and obey the law. You don’t own the street.

  8. the cops should have accepted and moved on. why fight a community for no reason? they were not bothering anyone. they weren’t doing anything out of the norm for thoes streets. yes, he shouldn’t have resisted but the cop is dead wrong for arresting someone for blocking a street during a religious event. he should lose his job! today!

  9. This is not the first hachnosas sefer torah in Boro Park Zebo is a small shtible soat most you had a few invited guests and the local neighbors who send their kids to have a good time Maybe you have a hundred people. The walking to the shul takes a few minutes. This is part of living in a frum community. The police should never have interrupted this event. they know how precious a sefer torah is to us. The police overreacted big time on this one. I ‘m a little worried the next time I attend an outdoor chupa where the street is blocked by the overflow guests will the police respond in force Will they make every baal simcha get a permit.

  10. The man who was arrested was probably not aware that there was no permit and maybe thought the police wanted to give Jews a hard time.

  11. The biggest question is why wasn’t the usual procedure followed for this Hachnasas Sefer Torah?

    I also think it’s inappropriate for Matzav to call a Hachnasas Sefer Torah “illegal”, regardless of what procedure was meant to be followed. You want to call it unauthorized (לשיטתם) that’s one thing, not illegal. We believe in God before the NYPD.

    Another thing, the police have definitely encountered such events in the past. Why couldn’t they work something out instead of violently shutting it down?

  12. Even if the cop reacted with a lack of patience and acted overly aggresive two wrongs dont make a right and what we have to look at is the fact that we are making our selves to comfortable in galus AGAIN the police push you of the road and you go back on?Yelling NAZI at an NYPD member just crazy.

  13. We’re not in deh alter goolis.
    Deh Rebbe is doo. The Chasidim zehnen doo. The Bes Medrish in de chaideh is doo. So what’s goolis about all this.

  14. CHILUL HASHEM!!
    YOU ARE IN GALUS!! YOU DONT OWN BOROUGH PARK!!
    Listen to the NYPD, they do alot more for the community, than you people acting like animals & making such a chilul hashem!!
    Always listen to police!!
    Realize you are living in a Medina chessed!!
    Now dont start making hafganas in Borough park too. Go to the Bronx Zoo & get yourself an exhibit!!
    A real embarrassment!!
    These are NOT how Jews act

  15. Copped out, post #10, along with #9, nailed it!
    It shouldn’t have happened! We’re an obedient community for the most part. The organizers were wholly at fault for not arranging patrol and proper street closures. It was Sunday afternoon on 15th Avenue in BP. What were they thinking!!
    The cops were unnecessarily zealous! They could learn a thing or two about respect! Instead they have the Courtesy Professionalism and Respect message posted on the outside of their cars. They should also have it posted inside their cruisers too!
    Still the citizens MUST obey the police otherwise we’ve become like another neighborhood in Brooklyn.

  16. I dont see any chillul Hashem… He’s not fighting with cops only telling them to respect his practices. Maybe its a “peaceful protest” – then its ok right? only bec. they are singing Jewish songs its a problem…

  17. I also watched the video and it is very clear that this man has no decency or sechel. The police tell you to move to the sidewalk you listen. This wiseguy refused to follow instructions and acted with chutzpah. What an idiot causing a major chilul Hashem
    The onlookers should have told him to follow instructions yet they egged him on. For shame!!

  18. I am not a Hasid, nor a knee-jerk apologist for Hasidim. On the contrary, sometimes I criticize them.

    Nevertheless, in this case, having viewed videos at multiple sites, I think the guy arrested was basically innocent and the officer that started with him acted inappropriately. I am not addressing larger issues e.g. re permit for the event in general, just how that individual was treated.

    Let us see now what all the flatterers/sycophants/toadies who have given so much Yiddishe gelt to Mayor Warren Wilhelm (aka DeBlasio) have to say.

  19. I watched the while thing too. Matzav failed to show the main video where the mechitzaf was specifically ordered by the officer to move out of the street but went back anyways in outright fefiance of a lawful order. I don’t know where this baal gaivah thinks he is, but in America we are required to obey the law. Dina Demalchusa Dina. He deserves good pech. Or at least a gezunte penalty and maybe some time behind bars so he can think about the massuve chillul shem shamayim he caused. Why did he davka have to be different than all the other fine’ yidden that listened to the officer’s lawful order? Who does he think he is? I would check his yichus.. midachatzif kuli hai, shma..

  20. S 240.20 Disorderly conduct.
    A person is guilty of disorderly conduct when, with intent to cause
    public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk
    thereof:
    5. He obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic; or
    6. He congregates with other persons in a public place and refuses to
    comply with a lawful order of the police to disperse; or
    7. He creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act
    which serves no legitimate purpose.
    Disorderly conduct is a violation.

    S 205.30 Resisting arrest.
    A person is guilty of resisting arrest when he intentionally prevents
    or attempts to prevent a police officer or peace officer from effecting
    an authorized arrest of himself or another person.
    Resisting arrest is a class A misdemeanor.

  21. You might be right that the individual should have stopped, but theses police made tremendous mistake. They are not allowed to hit anyone and bring on violence. In our community we are B”H not animals, no one gets violent. These Police animals think they were in Harlem or Beford Stye, where they can’t breakup any fight without using their evil methods. They should all be moved to a different area,where they will be running after crimes all day, and might end up shot by the mobs.

    • I hear your feelings.. But for police to react that way is regular Protocal.. The community; as peaceful as it is MUST understand this.. when you resist arrest they become very violent.

  22. What a disgraceful performance today by the Miami Dolphins! They knifed me very early this season. Ryan Tannehill truly stinks. They usually wait till the last few weeks of the season before they pull the rug from under their fans and tank. Now, they just threw in the towel in week 5. Let’s make sure we end up with the worst record in the NFL so we lock in that first pick in next years draft. Yeh, what a fine organization. NOT!

  23. I do not think anyone can be blamed here. Firstly, theres a beautiful high and a very euphoric atmosphere at a hachnasas sefer torah so I can imagine that the reaction by this man and the public may not have been the best idea but I don’t know how I would react if I’d be taken out of a different world so suddenly and unexpectedly.
    Secondly, Every person on this earth needs to know NEVER to resist the police; even if you are innocent. When you’re unlucky enough to be arrested just go! you’ll have time to explain yourself when you get to the station
    Lastly, This incident somehow reflects a result of a lot of inner egotism.. This whole conversation about Shomrim and Shmira; for heavensakes arent you all just doing chessed? If only Shmira is there why wouldn’t that be sufficient. Oh! but you only need to ask Shomrim.. All beepers and walky talkys aside if the community board would’ve worked well not only with the police but also with the community itself people wouldve been more protected and more informed…

  24. This cop like many in frum areas has a anger management problem, he would never push a Muslim, illegal Mexican or a black like this. Where is Kalman yeger? He should have 1st hand knowledge as his wife works for de blasio or is he uncomfortable criticizing the mayor?

  25. Can someone please provide me a Siman in Shulchan Aruch or a Mekor to block a street for a hacnosas sefer torah and cause tircha dziburah for people not affiliated with the event?

  26. “Everyone knows that our community and the NYPD have a remarkable relationship. To see conflict like this was just so out of the ordinary and simply astounding.”

    Yeah, sure…

    1978 riots at/around police station after a Jewish man was murdered on Friday night, 1999 police killing of Gidone Busch Hy”d, 2006 riots after elderly Jewish man was arrested, etc., etc.

    • Please don’t forget NYPD on 3 day standby during black racists attack on the Jewish community of Crown Heights in 1991. The Jew hating police will always be there to “bravely” ticket and harass the Jewish community, probably the most nonviolent community in NYC, yet the same police will run away when there is organized violence against the nonviolent communities.

      • We should not paint them all with a broad brush.

        As in any large organization, there is a wide variety there. Some do what they are supposed to do, while others are lacking.

        Some may not like us, but others are more open-minded.

        Sometimes the problems are due to orders from superiors.

  27. This is what they do… Acting,and try to treat everyone. I have seen not once the nature of the Jew people in BoroPark. They don’t have authorization to close that street,put that tent on it listen loud music after 10pm etc etc.. but they don’t mind. They thought they’re above the law. And if somebody from the government try to do something with them of course they play out the “anti-Semitic card” call that person a Nazi etc etc..
    They where warned to leave the street etc. What they did? Act like a person who has mental issue. When poor guy from the police put that piece of trash away he was screaming like he’s got a broken arm. At this time every Jew took the phone and start recording… Such a great and Honorable species. Ohh and jeah imma Nazi as well because I wrote down that.

  28. Whenever there is a block party in my neighborhood, the street is blocked off. The organizers get a permit..very easily done. All someone had to do was follow proper procedures and guidelines and all this chaos never would have happened. On the flip side….Malke from Williamsburg marries Noah from Boro Park. They have a wedding in Wiiliamsburg where the ‘immediate nation’ is invited to this simcha. Hundreds line the streets to celebrate. Did the brides family get a permit to close off the street??? Perhaps someone should show them the movie A STRANGER AMONG US starring Melanie Griffith.

  29. Hans. Go learn some basic English… Perhaps with some vestige of intelligence in your skull, you might stop stereotyping an entire race…

  30. Dear Angelica. You sound like a ‘true” angel… Go spew your hate and xenophobia somewhere else, not on a Jewish website… There are plenty of forums who would welcome your pearls of wisdom…

    Sincerely,
    A Hasidic taxpayer who has never touched government money…

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